"Virgil, put me down!"

"No."

"Virgil...!"

"You had your chance. You didn't listen, so we are doing this the hard way." Virgil prodded the elevator controls with a boot.

"If you don't put me down-"

"You'll what? You're dead on your feet. I'm surprised you're conscious."

The elevator doors swished open and his brother strode through, gently angling Scott so he didn't hit his head.

"C'mon, Virgil, really? I need to finish that report. The board is meeting in the morning." This was exasperating and not a little annoying.

"I'll go."

Scott choked as the elevator doors opened again and Virgil slipped through. His brother's stride was barely affected by the weight he was carrying.

Struggling with the concept of Virgil in the board room, probably with grease smeared on his nose, kept Scott's tongue tied the length of the corridor. "You're kidding."

Virgil edged him through his bedroom door. The room was dark except for the moonlight shining through the windows. "Thank you for your vote of confidence."

"Virg, you know what I mean..."

His brother lowered him to the bed while Scott calculated how quickly he could make it out of the room the moment Virgil's back was turned.

But the medic wasn't finished. He glared at Scott in the darkness. "I know exactly what you mean. You mean to not only fly with an abdominal injury to a board meeting, but you think that only you can attend that meeting." Virgil pulled the covers over him and tucked him in.

Scott groaned. "It's not that-"

"It's exactly that. You are staying, I'm going. With John."

"Oh."

"Yes, 'oh'. I'm not stupid." His brother sighed. "Now sleep. We've got this."

"Virg-"

A thick finger landed on his lips, startling him into silence. "I said sleep."

Scott stared up at his brother. The moonlight cast him in worried shadows.

A breath and Scott relented, letting himself relax into the bed. It was a soporific movement, tightly wound muscles ever so happy to loosen, and he found his eyelids drooping suddenly.

That finger lifted and brushed hair off his forehead, but Virgil didn't say anything further before straightening.

"Sleep." It was soft...and a command he found he could no longer ignore.

He didn't hear Virgil leave.

-o-o-o-